NEW SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM ON THEATER PRODUCTION OFFERED BY QUEENS COLLEGE BEGINNING JUNE 29

-- Come to the April 23 Open House to Learn About This and Other Programs for Kids Age 5 to 14 That Combine Education and Sports –

FLUSHING, N.Y., April 7, 2006--Do your kids dream of becoming stage actors, singers, or dancers? Perhaps they are artistic and would like to make costumes or design sets? Or would they prefer to learn what goes on behind-the-scenes in producing or directing a show?

These are some of the skills that youngsters can learn in theater production, the newest offering in Queens College’s Summer Camp program in Flushing, beginning June 29 and ending August 23. Now in its 18th year, the camp offers a mix of fun-filled, age-appropriate activities for kids age five to 14 years that combine education and sports and stress the joy of learning.

Summer Camp Open Houses will take place at FitzGerald Gymnasium on the college campus from 9 to 11 am on April 23, May 6 and 21, and June 3. Parents can select the Queens College KinderKamp, the all-day Sports Academy, or the Education Program. Kids can sign up for classes in art, music, literature, and science, or choose among competitive sports, swimming, dance, and quiet or computer games. Remedial lab classes in reading and math are also available.

The Summer Camp offers two-, four-, six-, and eight-week sessions normally lasting from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm. Early-start and late-day programs are provided at no extra charge; children five and six years old may attend the Education program for a half-day. Both kosher and non-kosher lunches are offered. The college contracts with a bus company that will pick up and deliver campers anywhere in Queens.

Unlike many summer camps, classes are all taught by local teachers certified by the New York City Department of Education. These classes offer enrichments that often are not included in the regular school curricula. Children receive personal attention from teachers and the camp counselors who assist them.

“Classes take a hands-on approach to learning, providing ample opportunities to create,” says Brian DeMasters, Queens College Director of Recreation. “The teachers share what they love with the hope that this passion will spark students’ enthusiasm for invention and self-expression.”

When it comes to sports, everything is instruction-based and geared to the interest and proficiency of the child, from beginner to advanced athlete.

The camp pays great attention to children’s safety. There are 16 lifeguards, and the camp’s athletic trainer and his three assistants are certified emergency medical technicians.

“What makes our camp unique is its attention to detail and excellent organization,” says DeMasters. “We go above and beyond the standards. While other camps hire high school students as counselors, we use only college students who are more mature and tend to be better qualified. This is a learning environment, and we have the reputation of Queens College to uphold.”